Trust
by Gypsy3
Summary: ** COMPLETED!! ** A patient brings Nick and another doctor together. Can Nick help both the patient and Dr. Eleszara past her opinion of surgeons?
1. First Meeting

Title: Trust

Author:  Gypsy 

Comments: Sure. Flames and Kisses are welcome all the same.

gypsybaby1@attbi.com

Spoilers: None.

Archive: Please ask first.

Rating:  errr.. NC-17 or PG depending on the chapter ~L~.

Summary: 

Disclaimers: The characters involved the property of CBS Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended. Original characters, however, are the property of the author.   So this means you can't sue me!!  Unless you want my car payment, collection of river rocks, unique goblets and my clones... who only mind me... some of the time…

****

Nick frowned as he leaned over the patient in the bed.  When he'd been called for a surgical consult, he assumed that the patient truly would need surgery.  But, in further exam, surgery was only an option, not a necessity.  His forehead wrinkled in a frown, his eyebrows drawing together as he looked over the chart once more.

"Who's the patient's doctor?" he asked the nurse.

"Dr. Cori.  She's on her way.  I'll let you know when she gets here Doctor."

Why?  Nick looked up at the nurse as she smiled and left the room.  Why would he need to know when the physician is arriving?  "Not necessary.  I'll sign off on my consult and let it go.  This one doesn't need surgery as of yet.  It's an option and only that.  If Doctor Cori needs to talk to me, she can page me like everyone else."

A hissing sound of disapproval came from the doorway where Dr. Slingerland had been passing by.

"Something you disagree with Slingerland?"

"Yeah."  He came in with a mysterious smile on his face.  "If you think that Dr. Cori is going to treat you like every other physician does, then you're in for a rude awakening."

"Why is that?"  Nick was completely curious now.  He looked down at the patient, who was fast asleep again and oblivious.  He motioned Slingerland out to the nurse's station to continue their conversation.  In the short time since he'd arrived at Presidio, the Englishman had become a friend and sort of guide through the waters.

"Cori doesn't exactly like surgeons."

"So how should that affect the way she'll treat me.  I'm going on the assumption that she's a professional like the rest of us."

The doctor in question, Coriandra Eleszara, stopped at the nurse's station as she listened to the two doctors.  She'd heard her name mentioned by the English sounding one and knew that it was Slingerland.  The damned man had been after her for months for a date and since she turned him down in front of his colleagues, he'd been backbiting her ever since.  He was no one to talk about being 'professional'.  However, the other one he was talking to, the one with the definite Mediterranean accent, was definitely worth looking at.  With a smile, she busied herself in reading the chart of her patient while they talked amongst themselves.

"Hmm, you still haven't grasped the concept here Nick.  Cori hates surgeons with a bloody passion.  She'll go out of her way to make sure none of her patients require surgery."

"Not true."  Cori said quietly.  She would have laughed if it wouldn't have ruined the priceless image of seeing Slingerland jump a foot off of the floor and whirl around like he'd had a cattle prod shoved up between his cheeks.

"Doctor Cori!" he stuttered.  "Wha-wha-…"

"Sounds like 'what'.  As in, what am I doing here?  I have a patient.  You know those Slingerland, right?  The people who pay us money to get better?  Now close your mouth, you're embarrassing yourself.  You must be the surgeon."  She pushed past a still stuttering Slingerland and offered her hand towards the other doctor.  "Doctor Coriandra Eleszara.  Most people call me Doctor Cori."

"Doctor Nick Kokoris."

"Gezhundheit." She deadpanned as she picked up the chart and breezed past them into her patient's room.

Behind her, Nick and Slingerland both stared at her as she closed the door behind her.

"Is she always that way?" Nick finally asked.

"Yeah, she is.  Don't' get cross-wise of her.  If you do, you'll find out why she's got the nickname of 'Viperous Bitch'.  See you around Nick."

Nick nodded as Slingerland headed off on his own direction.  For a moment he stood and watched the odd Dr. Cori.  She looked to be about 6'0" with three-inch heels on.  She had curly hair, dark brown with some blonde streaks in it.  It looked like it was partially curly and somewhat frizzy.  If she owned a convertible, then that would explain it in his mind.  But, as short as she kept it, just barely curling over the collar of her blueberry colored suit, it framed her face and looked perfectly wild and carefree.  'Viperous Bitch' is what Slingerland had said she was nicknamed around the hospital.  He had to wonder why.  She certainly didn't come off as such.  A bit cold to Slingerland he noticed.  Had to be a past between them, he surmised.  However, she'd been pleasant and professional with him.  "Oh," he said to the still closed door.  "You're welcome for the consult."

****


	2. A Patient's Need

****

Cori looked at the younger boy in front of her sitting with his parents. She'd taken care of the boy and his older brother for years.  They were recommendations and had been with her since she first started practicing medicine.  For years she'd guided them through the sniffles, broken bones, sprained joints and an automobile accident.  Who said being a Pediatrician was all snot-nosed kids with ear infections?

"Dr. Cori?"

"Sorry Scott, was off in my own world.  I've got the x-rays back and I've got some bad news."

"It's broken, isn't it?  I knew it!! I can't have a broken wrist!  I have to play hockey this year.  Dr. Cori, I'm on the starting line, my last year on the team and-"

"Scott, it's not broken."  She saw the relief on his face and held up a hand.  "BUT… it is hyper-extended to the point of almost broken.  Your wrist ligaments are stretched so thin that you were lucky they didn't snap.  Your muscles are stretched and some of the bones in your wrist are out of place."  She stood up and put an x-ray up on the light on the wall behind her.  "Come over here and look at this."

Scott got up and came around the desk, his left wrist and forearm in a splint, bandaged up so it was immobile.  It'd been like that for almost 4 hours since he'd crashed into the boards during practice.  One good note was that the painkillers he'd been given in the ER had taken a good effect on him and he wasn't feeling any pain at all.

Cori took the pen in her hand and pointed to the mass of white chips where a wrist should be.  "These are the bone pieces that make up the human wrist.  Now, this is not your wrist.  This is a x-ray of a normal healthy wrist.  I keep this copy for comparisons.  This is what a wrist should look like."  She paused and put up another x-ray.  The white chips were all over the place and both Scott and his parents could see the distended white lines running along either side.  "This is your wrist.  See here and here?"  She pointed to two larger bones first.  "These are way out of place.  When you hit, you hit hard.  Let me see if I can decipher this.  For some ungodly reason, you felt macho enough to practice without your gloves on, correct?"  Scott nodded yes, a blush on his cheeks.  "Uh huh… well, you know that wasn't smart, but hey, you figured it'd never happen to you, right?  Yeah I thought so.  OK, when you were…"

"Checked.  From behind… he hit me and I fell forward, skidding across the ice."

"Face-first into the boards, which are designed to flex a little, but are still hard when hit as fast as you were sliding.  What were you clocked at? 40? 50?"

"My highest on ice speed is clocked at 45mph."

"Yeah, and you weren't obviously going that fast when you hit, but you were going pretty fast."

"What's the verdict Doc?"

Cori turned to Scott's father and smiled.  "It's not as bad as it looks.  I think that it can be worked back into place with intense physical therapy.  However, as a precaution I have asked for a surgeon to come and take a look at Scott's x-rays to see if he thinks that surgery is warranted.  The best thing you can do right now is take Scott home, let him rest and keep that wrist wrapped and immobile."

"Thanks Dr. Cori.  You'll call us and let us know as soon as you hear something?"

"Of course.  Get that pain killer prescription filled as soon as possible.  I'm sure that shot they gave you in the ER is going to wear off in a little while.  Take care Scott."

She kissed his cheek and shook his parents' hands as she said good-bye to them.  As they took their son home, Cori watched the parents fussing over him.  He was a good kid, a lot like his older brother.  Sports junkies the both of them, they played everything they could.  Matt was stellar at swimming, but he also was fairly apt with a football and a soccer ball.  Scott was phenomenal with a puck, but did well in track and baseball.  Both of them had come to her over the years with bruises, bumps, cuts, broken bones, and the odd chipped tooth.  This time it wasn't going to be as simple as bandaging it and sending him off with a wink.  He might well need surgery.

Cori sighed as she sat down behind the desk again and looked up at the x-rays.  Surgery…  Slingerland was right when he'd told that handsome cutter that she didn't like surgeons.  But it wasn't personal it was professional.  More than likely this one too would recommend surgery to move the bones back into place and hem up the tendons and ligaments.  A simple procedure, she knew.  But she wasn't sure if she wanted to put them through that, not if it could be fixed with therapy.

****


	3. Quickie Consultation

****

"Well, it looks like you've made a new friend.  Congratulations."

"What are you talking about Slingerland?"  Nick turned from the patient chart he was looking over.  "What new friend?"

"Dr. Cori, Nick.  I hear that she's called you to do another surgical consult.  I heard the nurses talking about it."

"So?  It's not unusual."

"It is because it's Dr. Cori.  She never… and I'll repeat that, NEVER requests specific surgeons for consults.  As I said before, she hates them with a bloody passion."

"Have you ever stopped to wonder why?"

"Nope.  She hates me too.  Cold fish that one is.  Just be careful Nick.  If you get on her bad side, she'll make your life miserable."

Nick shook his head as he turned down the hallway towards where the nurse had said Dr. Cori's office was.  Life couldn't be any more miserable than Rae… Doctor Brennan was making it.  He stopped in the doorway, watching the wild haired Dr. Cori as she sat looking at the two x-rays on the light behind her.  He tilted his head and studied her for a moment.  She looked like she was in deep contemplation.

"You're welcome to come in and have a seat." She said without even turning around.

Nick blinked.  How did she know he was there?  Quietly he stepped in and closed the door behind him.  "You called for a surgical consult, Dr Cori?"

"You got it."  She wheeled around and crossed her arms on the desk in front of her.

Nick studied her hands for a moment.  Strong hands, he could see the tendons working beneath the surface of her skin.  Clear skin, she took care of herself obviously and didn't spend great amounts of time in the sun.  And, he noticed she took time out to get her nails done.  French manicures took forever and she had the same paint job last week when she shook his hand.

"Hello, eyes up here please?" she laughed lightly and sat back as he looked up at her again.  "I got a patient here with some wrist damage.  Hyper extended wrist ligaments, tendons and muscles.  Some of the wrist bones are displaced, rather big ones too."  At his questioning look, she pointed to the x-rays behind her.  "Hockey player. Scott Philders was checked from behind and at his speed, crashed into the walls.  Dumb boy didn't have his gloves on.  If he had, this would simply be a sprained wrist to keep some ice on for a week until the swelling goes down."

"What do you think?"

Cori blinked for a moment, completely stunned.  Any other surgeon would have said 'operate' immediately upon hearing the words 'bones' and 'displaced'.  She sat there for a moment in silence.  "Um, well, I think that with some intense daily therapy he won't have to have surgery."

"I see.  Well, Dr. Cori, where is he?  I'd like to examine his wrist myself and see what I think he needs."

Again she sat in shocked silence.  Was this guy for real?  "He's at home, resting!  I sent him home with his parents and a prescription for a painkiller!  What do you need to see that I haven't told you already?"

"I need to see for myself the extent of the damage to his wrist, you know, get a feel for his injury.  Surgery might not be needed, but then again it might.  I won't know until I see his wrist."

Cori blinked slowly, standing up as her lower jaw worked like a fish.  "You… you…" she couldn't explain why she was so irritated.  No, she knew why… he hadn't behaved as she'd expected him to, he'd also second-guessed her examination.

"Sounds like 'you'… I'm guessing you don't want me to examine him?  No, I can see you wouldn't.  Slingerland was right, I suppose you do hate surgeons, don't you?"

Cori was getting more and more livid by the second.  But, all she could voice was an irate squeak.

"Wow, she's speechless.  I'll have the nurse call Scott and his parents to come back this afternoon so I can examine him."  At another squeak and the blooming scarlet color on her neck creeping up to her ears, he laughed.  "What, did you expect me to make some snap decision?  I can't do that, and I won't, not until I see for myself.  I'll let you know what I think he needs after I see him."

He stood up and left Cori standing behind her desk, mute with shock.  She wasn't angry at all.  Inside she was jumping that he hadn't made the same decision any other surgeon would have made.  Maybe he had a heart and brain in addition to good looks.

Nick paused at the nurse's station and chuckled.  Slingerland would have loved to have seen the 'Viperous Bitch', as he called her, speechless.  However, from what he saw on the x-ray the kid would need surgery.  If for nothing else than to put those few wrist bones back into place.  But Nick wanted to feel the kid out first and see how seriously damaged his wrist was before he said what was on his mind.  That, and he wanted to make sure that Dr. Cori wasn't sugar coating things to keep the kid out of surgery as it had been suggested by other voices.  Funny, she didn't seem like the type to put her patients in that kind of jeopardy.

****


	4. Speechless

****

"WHERE IS HE?!"

Drs. Brennan, Keating, Slingerland and Lanning jumped and turned towards the echoing shout that reverberated down the hallway.

"Doctor Cori…" Slingerland groaned.  "I'm guessing she's gotten Kokoris' decision on the Philders' kid.  Oh, look at that!  I have rounds to make.  Ta-ta ladies!"

Jules and Harriet blinked as he slithered off in the opposite direction from where his rounds should be.

"You think he's still turned upside down by her outright refusal to go on a date with him?" Harriet asked quietly as she watched the younger Dr. Cori come up the hallway looking angry as a swarm of hornets.

"Nah.  Public humiliation looks good on Matt.  But I want to know what she's pissed about."

"Ah, Dr. Brennan…" Cori smiled a plastic smile at Dr. Rae Brennan.  She had never liked the two-faced woman and took no pains to hide it.  However, she turned a genuine smile onto Dr. Harriet Lanning and Dr. Keating.  These two women she loved without a doubt.  Always a class act and in it to help the patients.  "Dr. Lanning, Jules."  Her tone of voice turned a bit stiff as she moved on to her quest.  "Anyone seen -"

"Dr. Kokoris is on a consult with another patient, Cori, he'll be back in about 15 minutes.  Think you can keep from tearing down the house while waiting?" Harriet laughed and patted Cori's hand.  She had to hand it to the younger doctor.  She was ferocious when fighting for her patients and had a reputation for avoiding surgery when it wasn't seriously necessary.  Plus, she was a firecracker of a woman who brought a spark to the hospital.  She did, however, notice as Rae smiled a plastic smile in return to Cori and moved off to see to her own rounds.

"Someone bellowed?"  Nick had heard Dr. Cori as she came down the hallway yelling.  For a moment he stopped and watched as Rae walked down the hall.  "Hello again Dr. Cori.  I assume the 'HE' you're screeching for would be me and you're less than pleased with my decision."

"Oh you got that right!  Surgery?!  I told you he could be fixed with intense therapy!  You didn't even talk to me when he came in the second time.  Listen, Dr Ko-… Ko-"

Nick smiled patiently.  "Kokoris."

"Dr. Koko-" she growled in frustration at trying to spit out his name.  She'd said it before, but it wasn't coming out now.  "Whatever!  Next time you decide that one of my patients needs surgery, do kindly have the huevos to come talk to me first before scheduling the procedure!"  She slammed down the file she'd had in her hand and wheeled about on a heel, stalking off the way she'd come.

Jules and Harriet were watching silently, wide-eyed and trying to keep from laughing.  Neither one of them had seen Coriandra Eleszara this worked up, ever.  They leaned over the desk as Nick followed Cori down the hallway, irritated in his own right now.

"You listen to me, you furious little banshee!"  He stopped short as Cori wheeled around again and planted her balled up fists on her hips.  "I can understand you're dislike of surgeons, but don't punish your patients for it!"

"How dare you!" she hissed.  "I look after my patients first and foremost and you are no one to tell me how to do my job!  Ask anyone around here and they will tell you that if one of my kids needs surgery, then they get surgery.  I do, however, reserve the right to try everything I can before I give them up to a grandstanding cutter!"

Jules' and Harriet's eyes widened and they had to cover their mouths to keep from gasping.

"Grandstanding?!  You are unreal lady!  I don't know what your problem is with surgeons, and frankly, I don't care.  Scott Philders needs surgery to put the bones back into their proper places and I'm not changing my decision.  Get as many second opinions you want, but even a first year is going to tell you the same thing!"

Cori raised her hands to about his shoulder height, fingers clenched like claws and let out a frustrated growl.  She then turned and stalked 10 feet down the hallway before turning back.  "The least you could have done was come talk to me first."  She calmly walked back up the hallway towards him.  "The problem I have with most of you cutters is that you don't give a rat's ass about the patient.  All you people see is a cadaver with a heartbeat and brain activity.  Scott is a hockey player.  If he has surgery on his wrist, he'll be out the rest of the season.  Do you know what kind of damage that is going to do to him?"

Nick's jaw dropped.  "You can't seriously be putting this kid's extra-curricular activities ahead of his well-being!"

Cori just rolled her eyes and walked off.

Nick followed her, not willing to let her go that easily.  "Tell me that's not what you're thinking!  Because if it is, then I misjudged your ability and common sense!"

Cori halted in her tracks and turned around.  "Oh no, no, no you did NOT just go there.  How dare you think that I'd put the kid's sports ahead of his health!  I am not and you know it.  You're all alike, you cutters, can't see the big picture and you can't see the person for the body!  If Scott misses this season, his chances of going to college are going to be shot.  His family isn't poor, but they're hoping that he can get a scholarship.  If you would just consider physical therapy, you'd see that it would be just as effective and the scouts wouldn't blink twice at that note."

"Physical therapy?  For displaced bones? Listen to me, no amount of therapy is going to move those bones back into place!  Were you dropped on your head?!"

"How dare you!"  Cori wheeled around and snarled at him.  She could feel the flush of anger creeping up her neck again into her cheeks

"Well, will you look at that."  Nick smiled and put his hands on his hips to mimic her.  "Those flashing eyes, those flushed cheeks.  You're breathing hard and growling too.  You know what Dr. Cori?  You are ugly when you're angry."

Jules and Harriet nearly fell over.  They composed themselves in time to see Cori's lower jaw working like a fish and her skin turning pale save for two splotches of pink on her cheeks.  

He… He just… All she could get out in response was another squeak of outrage.  Cori turned around and started towards a door.

Nick followed after her, determined to get the rest of the confrontation out of the way.  "I think you're speechless again.  Dr. Cori, you're not living up to your reputation.  If you'd-"

Cori put up a hand and halted Nick in his tracks and in mid-sentence.  "Five minutes."

When he took another step towards her, she put her hand on his chest.  "Five minutes."  At his confused look, she sighed and held up her hands to show the door she was trying to get into.  "I doubt you want to go into the Ladies' Room with me and finish this discussion, Dr. Koko."  At his obvious embarrassment, she nodded and turned, disappearing into the women's bathroom.

Behind them, Jules and Harriet were snickering softly.  "Dr. Koko" Jules giggled as Nick moved off down the hallway towards the hospital cafeteria with a resigned look on his face.  It appeared to them that Dr. Coriandra Eleszara had finally met her match in Dr. Nicholas Kokoris.

****


	5. Reconsider This

****

Cori plopped down behind her desk and leaned forward until her forehead hit the hard wood of the desktop with a thump.  She groaned and lifted her head up, only to drop it again with another loud thump.  What was she thinking?  Had she let her dislike of surgeons come before her patient this time?

Raising up, she propped her head on one hand and looked over Kokoris' diagnosis.  Everything was stitched up right and he was right.  She knew it too by looking at the x-ray, her own exam of Scott's wrist and re-reading the surgical consult.  Sighing softly, she closed the file up and picked up the phone.

"Operator."

"Yeah, can you page Dr. Nick Kokoris for me?"

"Your extension?"

"Yeah, have him call me here."

"What did you need to speak with me about?"

Cori screeched and jumped, dropping the phone.  As she sat back in her chair, trying to catch her breath, Nick crossed over to the desk and picked up the phone.

"Please cancel that page, I'm right here.  Thank you."

"You… You…"

"Sounds like 'you'.  We've been here before Dr. Cori.  Would you like to calm down and discuss Scott Philders' like adults and professionals?"  He smiled as he eased down into the chair opposite her.

Cori eyed him for a moment before she relaxed and eased back in her chair.  "I'm sorry for yelling in the hallway.  That was unprofessional and uncalled for.  I was the one who had asked for a consult from you."

"Thank you, apology accepted.  Now, about the kid…"

"If you're one hundred percent certain that surgery is the only way to go-"

"I'm not.  Dr. Cori-"

"Just Cori, please.  We're professionals, right?"

"Cori, then.  I'm not a physical therapist.  But, I do know a case for surgery when I see it present itself.  I still do not think that therapy will cure the problem, but if you are that sure, then I'll be willing to hold off on the surgery for, say, a week?  Just to see if it will work."

Cori blinked.  He was negotiating with her on treatment?  "6 weeks of daily intensive therapy including range of motion and deep tissue massage to get the blood flowing back down into the muscles.  Hopefully with the muscles contracting back into their normal shape, the tendons and ligaments will re-shape themselves."

"But 6 weeks is too long to wait to see if it will work.  By then if it's not, it will be too late for surgery to fix the problem and he could be crippled for the rest of his life.  One week and the therapist's own consultation."

"4 weeks and the therapist's consult."

"Two."

Cori squinted a moment, eyeing him like a hawk.  "Three weeks.  Daily therapy, deep tissue massage, therapist's consult and an evaluation week by week to both you and me."

"Deal.  And if he's not responding to therapy at the end of the first week?"

"I'll book the procedure myself."

Nick blinked.  He was starting to like this woman.  She was nothing like what Slingerland had said she was.  She wasn't even as evil as some of the other surgeons had suggested she was.

Cori chuckled.  He looked like he was about to have a kitten.  "I'm not a completely unreasonable woman, Dr. Koko.  I-"

"Kokoris.  The name is Kokoris."

"I like Dr. Koko myself.  Makes you sound like you don't have that stick up your butt.  As I was saying before you interrupted me.  I'm going out for a drink after work.  Would you like to join me?"

"As much as the offer is appealing, not tonight.  Perhaps another?"

"Sure.  Good Night Nick."

"Good Night Cori."

****


	6. Mojito's And Gossip

****

"She really called him Dr. Cocoa?!"  Jackie Collette let out a pealing squawk of laughter as she sipped at her mojito.  "Oh God I would have LOVED to have seen that showdown!"

"Oh stop it Jackie!" Jules giggled.  "She was so frustrated and tongue-tied she couldn't get 'Kokoris' out of her lips.  Oh God you should have seen her when he called her ugly…" Jules broke out in full-blown fits of laughter.

Letty spit the sip of margarita she had just taken.  "You're not serious?!  OH GOD YOU ARE!!"

"Yup," Harriet chuckled.  "Right there, in the middle of the hallway, with nursing staff, Jules and myself, and half the patients either watching or listening, Dr. Nick Kokoris said something that caused Dr. Cori Eleszara to turn around and snarl at him.  To which he replied after balling up his fists on his hips in a mimic of her own posture, 'Well, will you look at that.' "  Harriet deepened her own voice to imitate Nick's.  " 'Those flashing eyes, those flushed cheeks.  You're breathing hard and growling too.  You know what Dr. Cori?  You are ugly when you're angry.' "

The entire table burst out in instantaneous laughter until their cheeks were beet red.

"Yeah… and she just could not answer him.  She squeaked!"  Jules gasped out between breaths.  "And then… and then, oh goodness, she turned and headed towards the bathroom, with Nick on her tail like he had no clue where she was going."

"He didn't Jules.  You couldn't see his face when he realized she was going into the women's bathroom.  He turned as red as she was already.  I'm telling you ladies, I think Nick Kokoris is on the Single Men Endangered Species List and Coriandra Eleszara is just the Huntress to catch him."

"I'm surprised someone hasn't snatched up that Greek bod of his already.  Hell Ladies, if I weren't married, I'd have made a pass at him myself." Letty winked with a laugh.  "I might be married, but damn I know a hot man when I see one."

"Ain't that the truth."  Jackie piped up.  "Working with him on that burn case last year, I discovered just what kind of man he is.  Oh baby, those eyes, that mouth…"  She moaned and reached for her drink.  "I get hot just thinking about that mouth.  And when he licks his lips?  Girrrl get out of the way!"

While Harriet, Letty and Jackie were laughing again, Jules snuck a look over at Rae.  Ever since she'd found out that Kokoris and Rae'd had a fling, she'd been real careful about making eyes at the handsome surgeon.  And it seemed that either Rae was still in love, or not quite willing to let go of him.  She thought it odd, that Rae would act like that.  She wasn't still sleeping with him, that much was certain.  And there definitely was a tension between them.  Jules remembered the discussion about seeking a sperm donor and the way she acted when his name came up.  But, that was last year, wasn't it?  Shouldn't she have moved on?  "Hey," she whispered to Rae.  "Are you alright?"

Rae smiled and nodded.  She wasn't about to let on that she still felt possessive towards Nick.  After all, she was still married and trying to make it work, right?  It wouldn't do for her to act that way towards a single man that only Jules knew she'd slept with.  Why did the thought of Nick moving on bother her?  Why did the thought of Nick and Coriandra Eleszara just rub her the wrong way?

Jules noticed that Rae was looking a bit uncomfortable.  "I think I'm gonna head home girls.  Got a long day.  Rae?  Why don't you walk me out?"

Everyone else watched as Rae and Jules got up and left.  "What's up her craw?" Letty asked.

"You didn't know?" Jackie whispered.

At Letty's 'duh' look, Harriet leaned over.  "She and Kokoris had a fling before he came to Presidio."

"NO!" she gasped.  "She had a… with THAT Greek Bod?  And she let him go?!"  Letty's eyes were wide as silver dollars in amazement.  "Honey, if I'd had that man in MY bed, he'd still be there with me all over him."

Jackie and Harriet sputtered, Jackie turning to laughter.  "Yeah, rumor has it that he left his practice behind in Athens, followed her out here, and then got dumped on royally.  Man," Jackie sobered up and sighed.  "I can't for the life of me see why she'd do that.  Having an affair, yeah, I can see it.  Her marriage is in the toilet.  But really, she's been so nasty to him and he hasn't done anything to deserve it.

"Jackie, it's not for us to judge her," Harriet said.  "I like Nick, he's a fascinating guy.  But you have to fault him all the same for getting involved with a married woman.  And probably even more for coming out here and putting her on the spot like that."

"I don't care one way or the other." Letty sniffed as she reached for her drink.  "If I divorce my husband, can I have Dr. Koko?"

All three women burst out in laughter again

****


	7. Concessions

****

Nick watched the session with Scott and his therapist.  But that didn't mean he didn't like what he was seeing.  This was only the second session so far, but reading the therapists' notes on the first session didn't make him feel any better.

"It's OK." A voice behind him said quietly.

Nick turned halfway to see Cori standing behind him.  "What's OK?"

"That you're not liking the way this is progressing, or having second thoughts about agreeing to the therapy.  So am I."

Nick blinked and looked down as she came to stand beside him.  She wasn't dressed for office visits today, instead in scrubs and a pair of tennis shoes.  The green did nothing for her, but she still looked rather attractive in them.  He shook his head - he had to be out of his mind to think things like that.  He did, however, notice that she was just tall enough to rest her cheek against his shoulder if she were so motivated to.

"Is there someplace you and I can talk?  I don't fancy a long walk back to my office just yet and I did want to talk to the therapist when this is done."

Nick nodded and motioned her over to a quiet corner that was out of the way.  Again, he could not help but notice things about her.  The way she walked, the style of her hair and how it matched her temperament, the faint splash of freckles across her nose and the mole that graced her upper lip on the left side of her mouth.  He had to be insane.  Hadn't he learned enough from Rae and her gut-kicking?

"I'm not happy either with the decision between us."

"Dr. Cori, I'm not sure-"

"Just Cori, remember?  We both agreed to be friendly." 

She smiled easily and he felt his heart rate speed up just a bit.  What the bloody hell was going on?  "Cori then… I'm not sure I understand.  You pushed for the therapy.  You yelled at me in front of colleagues and patients, called me a grandstanding cutter and then negotiated me up to three weeks of therapy with weekly progress reports.  Don't tell me you're having second thoughts now."

"I'm not having second thoughts.  I'm having first thoughts and 'wake up stupid' thoughts."  She sighed and crossed her arms across her stomach, leaning against the wall as she looked up at him.  "I've had a nagging dislike for surgeons since I got out of med school and started out on my own.  I try everything I can and some things that probably should be illegal to keep my patients from having to have surgery.  Most of the time, it works.  But when a patient of mine truly and honestly has the need for surgery, I'm the first to admit it."

"What does this have to do with Scott Philders and his wrist?"  If Nick wasn't confused before, he certainly was now.

"You got me so turned inside out and frustrated that I couldn't see the end of my nose.  After re-reading your diagnosis, and then my own, I came to the realization that he needed surgery above all else.  That's what I came up here to talk to you about.  His therapist said you'd been here to see his first session yesterday and I took a chance on seeing you here today.  I need you to do the surgery on his wrist."

Nick had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping onto the floor.  "You're sure you will sign off on the surgery?"

"Yes Nick. As soon as he's done, I'll pull him aside and let him know.  He's suspected all along that he'd need it.  I just gave him the false hope that he didn't."  She sighed and looked back at the session.

"No, you didn't.  You gave him the knowledge that his doctor was fighting for him and doing everything she could."

Cori turned her head back to look at Nick.  That was probably the nicest thing anyone had said to her in some time.  For a moment she just gaped at him.  Then quite unexpectedly, both by her and Nick, she threw herself up against him and kissed him square on the lips.  Nothing deep, just a quick peck on the lips.

Nick stumbled back, his eyes widening in shock as she kissed him and stepped back.  He stared at her for a moment, then chuckled as she giggled nervously and whipped around to go see her patient.  At times he swore she wasn't more then 19 or 20 years old at heart.  Unconsciously he licked his lips as he turned the opposite direction and headed off.  But, he stopped, forehead wrinkled up as his eyebrows knit together in confusion.  She tasted like… chocolate?.  Again he licked his lower lip and again he tasted something chocolate.  Even more confused, he ran his finger over his upper lip and inspected it in the light.  The pad of his fingertip shimmered.  Some sort of flavored lip balm then he assumed as he sniffed it carefully.  Yes, a chocolate flavored lip balm.  Coriandra Eleszara was full of shocks and surprises.  The thought kept a smile on his face as he turned back to the therapy session to watch Dr. Cori.

Cori, meanwhile, had interrupted the therapy session and sat down.  Her lips still tingled from the all too brief kiss she'd given Nick.  But, she cleared her throat and explained everything to Scott and his father.

"I'm sorry Scott.  I was so sure that therapy would be the cure for this.  It's not.  After re-reading the surgeon's diagnosis and listening to the therapist… and a healthy dose of my own self-doubt, Dr. Kokoris and I have come to the mutual conclusion that a very simple surgical procedure is needed to put the wrist bones back into their proper places."

"But, you said…" Scott trailed off.

"Yes, I know.  Scott, I have always tried to keep my patients from unnecessary surgical procedures.  But this time, in trying to keep you from something unnecessary, I also kept you from something very necessary.  However, it's not too late and it can be fixed easily."

"There's no other way?" Scott's father asked quietly.

"No.  I wish there were.  If the bones hadn't been as displaced as they were, then perhaps there would be.  But not with them as bad as they are.  It hurts each time the therapist manipulates your wrist, doesn't it?  And you can feel a tingling in your fingertips that runs all the way up your arm, can't you?"

Scott nodded his head yes both times and fought to keep his eyes from tearing up.  He didn't want surgery anymore than Dr. Cori did.  But, if she said it was necessary, then it was.

"That's because the bones are out of their original places and pressing against things they shouldn't - nerves, other bones maybe, soft tissues."  She reached over and wrapped her fingers around his good hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.  "Dr. Kokoris, the surgeon who evaluated you the day after?  He'll be performing the surgery.  He's nice and he'll explain everything to you."

"Will you be there?" he asked quietly.

Cori's heart broke.  He wasn't the All-City Starting Center for his High School any more.  Now he just looked like a scared 17-year-old.  "Yes baby, I'll be there observing every step of the way.  I'll come see you in your room before they take you down to the Operating Room and I'll be there in the Recovery when you come out."

Scott smiled and hugged Dr. Cori.  She returned his hug, rubbing his back gently.  Nick smiled.  She was forever and a day coming up with something new to astonish him each time he turned around.  Tomorrow should prove interesting indeed.

****


	8. Voice of An Angel

****

Nick came down the hallway and stopped.  Down the hallway, he heard singing.  It sounded like Cori's voice.  Curious, he started walking again, stopping only when he turned in to Scott Philders' room.  Looking on quietly, he saw Mr. Philders sitting with Mrs. Philders in the corner at the foot of the bed and Cori sitting on the edge of the bed with Scott's good hand grasped tightly in hers.  It was indeed her voice that he'd heard singing.

"free my son, let him walk right through the rain… free my son, make him waterboy… free my son, there he stands down on the shore… free my son"

She only stopped when she saw Scott's eyes move from her face to someone behind her.  Turning her head, Cori saw Nick standing there and then felt all the color drain out of her face at once.  "Dr. Koko-" she stuttered out.

Nick chuckled as she let go of Scott's hand and stood up.  "Good Morning Dr. Cori.  And Good Morning Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Philders.  How are you feeling?"  He picked up the chart and scanned it quickly.

"I'm OK Dr. Kokoris," Scott said quietly.  "They gave me something to make me sleep.  Dr. Cori here was just helping me relax."

"Oh she was, eh?  Is it working?"

"Just like a charm, Sir.  She always puts me to sleep, has since I was a little baby and mom couldn't get me to sleep through the night."  Scott's eyes drifted shut and for a few moments he was out cold.  Then he opened his eyes and looked at Dr. Kokoris.  "She's got the voice of an angel."

Nick looked up at a pale Cori and winked.  He still remembered the chocolate taste of her kiss yesterday.  It nagged at him all night and kept him awake.  "Yes, I can see where she does.  OK Scott, I want you to go ahead and relax even more if you can and let the anesthesia take effect.  You'll be awake and able to hear me all the way into the OR.  Once the anesthesiologist gives you the sedative to put you under, we'll start the procedure, OK?"

Scott nodded slowly.  "Yup…  hey Doc…"

"Yes Scott?"

"Can ya give me a tattoo while I'm out?  I'd get one for my birthday next week, but I'm afraid of needles."

Cori coughed to cover the giggle and Nick smiled.  "Can't do that.  But how about a nice scar that the girls will go ga-ga over?  Guaranteed to get some sympathy out of them."

"That'll work too.  Chicks dig scars…" he whispered as he passed out for a few more seconds.

In that time, the orderlies came in and wheeled Scott down to the elevator.  Cori followed behind his parents who were right behind the orderlies.  Nick caught hold of her arm and stopped her.  She turned around and looked up at him.  "What?"

"You sing?"

Cori laughed and carefully pulled her arm from his grip.  "Yeah, for my patients and in the car where no one can hear me.  I've found that the kids love to hear a soothing voice sing them to sleep when they're on drugs to put them under."

"And that particular song?"

"Waterboy by LIVE.  It's his favorite, has been since he was a little kid.  Each patient has their favorite that helps them relax."

Nick just stood there looking at her with an amazed feeling.  The more he got to know her, the more and more he was thinking that she was a rather amazing woman.  And probably falling for her too.

"Dr. Kokoris?"

Nick looked up from Cori and down the hallway where the orderlies were holding the elevator.  He nodded and bent down to give Cori a quick kiss , running his tongue across the seam of her lips before he turned and hurried down the hall to the elevator.

Cori stared after him, her lips numb again.  One hand came up and curled around the earpieces of her stethoscope as the other gingerly touched her lips.  A giggle escaped her lips as she turned and headed towards the elevators that would take her to the observation room of the OR.

Rae frowned.  She had been on the pediatric floor to see a patient of her own and had seen the discussion between Nick and Dr. Cori.  It looked too intimate by far and for some reason it nagged at her.  She didn't like the feelings the sight of the two of them standing together brought about in her.  She hated the feelings that came from seeing him kiss her.  Were they romantically involved?  Had they slept together?  Did she make the moves or did he?  As Dr. Cori walked by, oblivious to everyone around, Rae turned and followed her.  Perhaps it was time for a small discussion.

****


	9. Confrontation

****

Cori groaned as she saw Dr. Rae Brennan enter the observation room overlooking the OR.  Down below they both could see Nick in apron, mask and scrubs looking over the Cori's patient.  "What do you want?" she asked less than politely.

"To talk to you for a moment."

Cori turned to Brennan and raised an eyebrow.  "Really.  You now, last time you wanted to talk to me, I wound up with a white silk dress that STILL has the stain on it from your tossed Cosmopolitan cocktail."

Rae smiled and leaned up against the railing.  "I hear a rumor around the hospital that you and Dr. Kokoris are getting rather chummy."

"Yeah, and? What business is it of yours?"

"Oh, Coriandra," Rae sighed.  "When will you ever stop?  Isn't one married man enough?  Isn't it enough you made a fool out of yourself the last time."

Cori turned very, very slowly and fixed Rae Brennan with an icy glare.  "I think more to the point, the question should be when will YOU ever stop?  How many times do I have to tell you that nothing happened between your husband and me?  He asked me to dance, that's it!"

"Oh, sure, and I'm supposed to believe that your hand just accidentally slipped and squeezed his rear end?"

"I did no such thing!"  Cori was seeing red right now and didn't care if anyone heard her.  "You're a god-damned liar and a shrew of a woman Rae Brennan!  I wasn't the one who looked like a fool, it was you!  Let me refresh your memory, Doctor!  I do believe it was YOU left standing in the middle of the ballroom after your husband walked out and left you there.  I believe it was YOU who got yelled at by said husband who was tired of you yelling at me for nothing and after you'd thrown your drink at me.  You're the one who wound up looking like an idiot in a room full of people who knew that you had absolutely NO reason to attack me the way you did!"

One of the surgical nurses elbowed Nick and pointed up to the glass.  There, he could see Cori and Rae 'discussing' something.  But, he knew shouting when he saw it.  Cori was upset with Rae about something and Rae had this odd look on her face.  He kept watching for a second more as the nurses around him got Scott ready.

Rae just smirked.  "Cori, Cori, Cori.  You just don't get it do you?  You've got a habit of getting involved one way or another with men who aren't available - no matter how innocent it is.  Don't get mad at me for delivering the message.  Dr. Kokoris is taken."

Cori blinked, her mouth snapping shut as her vision filled with a red haze.  "Forgive me if I do not believe you.  I learned that night not to ever trust you.  And I learned long ago never to believe a word that comes out of that filthy mouth of yours."

"And why is that?"  Rae was tiring of this.  She had to be insane to put herself in front of such a temper.

"Because, who the hell can trust an adulteress?"

Nick stopped what he was doing.  He had seen Rae step back with a look of shock on her face.  What was going on?

Rae blinked.  "What…?"

"Oh don't play innocent with me."  I've known about Pakistan, Honduras, all the other places you spend two weeks a year visiting.  You forget I happened to be on a few of those myself.  I know an affair when I see one."

Rae stuttered and tried to find some way of denying it, but Cori kept up the attack.

"I've known all along about your little boy toy on the side, Rae.  Do don't even try to pin me into your shoes.  I'm not someone to cheat on a marriage."

"If… if you've known all along…" Rae said quietly.  "Then what are you doing trying to get into Nick's bed?"

Cori's face twisted up in confusion.  "Who said I was?  He's a nice guy who's nothing like I expected.  What -"  Then the truth dawned on her.  She'd heard the rumors running rampant around the hospital that Nick had been in Pakistan with the charitable organization that Brennan had been with.  It also clicked why Rae would be upset.  She'd seen the looks Rae had given Nick, heard the rumors of their fights.  It just never added up until now.  All along it had been Nick that had been Rae's boy toy.

"And the truth shall set you free.  It sucks when you realize that you're not immune to mistakes, doesn't it?"

"I haven't made a mistake at all.  Nothing's happened between Nick and I."

"But you want it to, right?  I know that look.  You want Nick."

"If I do, it's no concern of yours."

"True."  Rae smiled and stepped in to whisper into Cori's ear.  "But do you really think you can handle the knowledge that the last person Nick slept with was me?  Can you live coming in second to me in Nick's heart?"

Nick watched, despite the nurse's nudges that he needed to start the procedure.  He saw the ill look come over Cori's face and felt an instant disgust with Rae for putting it there.  What did she say to Cori?  He had to restrain himself to keep from running after Cori as she bolted out of the observation room.  He looked back after seeing the door close and the light in the room dim back to the smoky color of the glass.  Rae was smiling down at him for a moment, then turned and left.

He had to find Cori when the surgery was over.  He knew she'd be in the Recovery lounge waiting for Scott when he came out.  That's when he'd talk to her and see what Rae had said.  Hopefully whatever it was he could put it right and not throttle Rae for it.

****


	10. Ultimatum

A/N - Sorry for the possible confusion. ~L~ In my haste to get this story posted and mix-up as to which chapters went where, I got chapter 11 ahead of chapter 10. SO, here is the REAL chapter 10. In a peace offering, I'm posting a grand total of three chapters today!

****

"She's not in her office."

Nick stopped and turned around to see Jules Keating behind him. "Huh?"

"Cori. She's not in her office." Jules tried to smile as she approached Nick. She'd been on call when the message came over that Dr. Cori was taking the rest of the day off. Since Jules knew that Cori and Nick were getting close, and that they both had a patient in common, it was a natural assumption to Cori's unhappiness being at Nick's feet. "Just what did you say to her?"

Nick heard the harsh edge to her voice. "Dr. Keating, I didn't say a thing to her. If you want to know what was said, ask Rae. She was the last person Cori spoke with. I was in the OR."

Jules stepped back and sighed. "I'm sorry Nick. I like you, like you a lot and I love Cori to death. But why would Rae… oh, of course." Jules smiled half-heartedly and looked down for a moment. "I know why Rae would 'talk' with Cori. They don't exactly have a gold-plated history together."

"They are not on speaking terms?"

"More like gasoline and a lit match. Ever since that cocktail party a year or so ago when Rae accused Cori of sleeping with her husband, the two of them have been very.. oh what's the word for it?"

"I understand what you're trying to say. Dr. Keating, you don't think it's possible that Rae…"

"Is jealous of the possible relationship between you and Cori? In a nutshell - Hell Yes!"

"Rae has no right to be jealous of Cori." Nick could feel the bile rising in his throat at the very thought of Rae being jealous. After the way she treated him when he came here and every day after that for the next six months, Rae had no right to say anything to him or any woman he even thought about becoming involved with.

"You have to convince her of that Nick. I don't know what's come over her lately, but the other night when mention was made about your fight with Cori in the hallway over the Philders' kid, she turned an ugly shade of green and left immediately. I spent half an hour in the parking lot trying to get her calmed down before she went home."

"Ask me if it's worth it to get concerned. Listen, Jules, it's over between Rae and me. She ended it and none too prettily either. To this day, I can't even remember what I saw in her. I don't want to put you into the middle of this, but thank you for telling me. I think it's time I had a talk with Rae, alone, and see if I can set her straight."

"Good Luck. Jealousy has gotten a good grip on her. If your talking to her fails, see if Letty can help." Jules watched as Nick stalked off to find Rae. "If nothing else," she muttered. "It'll be a good show to watch Letty smack Rae upside the head. You got an avid supporter in that woman."

Nick found Rae in her office easily enough. He had to take a moment to collect his thoughts and keep from yelling at her the instant he stepped foot inside of the door. But, when Rae looked up and smiled at him, he felt a burning in his throat and he couldn't help but grab the edge of the door and slam it has hard as he could. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Rae blinked slowly. "I beg your pardon?"

"You shouldn't, not mine. You should instead be begging Coriandra's pardon. I don't know what you said to her, but butt out!"

"My my, what a show of outrage! Why Nick, last time I saw you this upset was when you yelled at me in front of a nurse and Dr. Keating. Tell me, what do you think I did this time?"

Nick's jaw dropped as he stared at her. "You… I can't believe you. Of all the things you could try and pull. Are you STILL trying to make it so I can't stand it here? Do you really hate me that much?"

"No, Nick, I don't hate you at all. I just want things to go back to the way they were, two weeks a year and that is that!"

Nick leaned over the desk, bracing his hands on the edge of it.

Rae had never seen his eyes that dark, not before this. A part of her was beginning to think she should be afraid.

"I don't deserve this kind of treatment Rae. And leave Dr. Coriandra out of it as well. This is between you and me. Things are NEVER going to be like they were, I won't accept that any more. I wanted something different, thought you wanted it too. But, stupid me acted on those desires. You didn't want things to change, I did. It's over now. Get used to it!"

"I don't have to get used to anything, Nicholas Kokoris! Or, perhaps I should call you 'Dr. Koko'? Coriandra Eleszara isn't the kind of person you should be involved with. Nick, trust me, she's not your type."

"What, and you are? A woman who likes cheating on her husband and schedules the dalliances… You've kicked me in the teeth long enough. I know about your personal issues with Coriandra and you know what? You can shove them down your throat. If she tells me that something didn't happen, I have no reason to disbelieve her. LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Rae sat back as his voice thundered in her office. One of the physician's assistants walking by stopped and stared for a second until she threw a harsh glare at them. "She's not the one for you, Nick. Come on, didn't you like what we had?" She came around the desk and put her hands on his arms to stroke them gently. "I loved it, loved you and the way you made me feel. It's not too much to ask Nick!"

"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Of. Me." Nick stepped back and shrugged her off. "Leave Coriandra alone, leave me alone. You have no more rights as far as I am concerned." He turned and walked out of the office, the door thumping against the wall loudly as he left.

****


	11. Peace Offering

****

Cori stopped, hands braced against her knees as she gasped in great lungfuls of air. Ever since she'd had that verbal spat with Rae, she'd been running. Literally. She'd thrown her gym bag out of the trunk of her car and headed down to the beach. She stood there for a moment, the bay breeze tangling her soaking wet hair and throwing it around. In her ears played a constant stream of music off of her mp3 player clipped to her waist.

__

'… do you really think you can handle the knowledge that the last person Nick slept with was me? Can you live coming in second to me in Nick's heart?' Cori listened to the words over and over again in her head, the words drowning out the music in her ears. Since when did it matter to her exactly what place she held in Nick's heart? '_Jesus Coriandra, get over it. He doesn't feel the same way…'_ She tried to make herself believe it, but then that kiss popped back into her mind.

That kiss… sweet, chaste, innocent but with a touch of more to it when he teased her lips with his tongue. And there was the way he looked at her from time to time, like he was seeing something that he liked about her.

"Shit Cori… he's a cutter," she said to herself. Launching herself back into her jogging, she ran down all the reasons that she shouldn't allow herself to fall for him. However, the more she ran, the more and more reasons she came up with why the hell not.

__

'He's good looking…' So were many mass murderers.

__

'He's charming…' So was Son of Sam.

__

'He kissed you…' Cori stopped again. That wasn't truly a kiss… no way it could truly be a kiss. Her fingers came up to her lips again as she stood there panting for breath. Hesitantly they touched her lips and the tip of her tongue slid out to lick them. She could still taste him. Strange to think that she could taste him on her lips…

When the small phone clipped to the waistband of her running pants started to vibrate, Cori yelped in surprise and jumped a foot back. Several other runners out on the beach with her looked at her in surprise. Swearing to herself, she yanked the headphones off and jerked the phone up. "What?" she said, still trying not to sound like she was heaving for breath.

"Cori?"

She rolled her eyes. "Nick, what do you want, I'm occupied."

He heard the breathlessness in her voice mixed with the sound of seagulls. "Where are you? I need to talk with you."

"Not now Nick. I'm busy." Cori hung up the phone and clipped it back to the waist of her pants. 

Nick looked at the phone as it went dead in his ear and sighed.

"Conroy's after 5," a voice said behind him. He turned around to see the head peds nurse standing behind him. 

"Excuse me?" 

"There's a bar called Conroy's. Be there after 5 if you want to talk to Dr. Cori. I've seen her get into these moods before. She takes off, goes for a run that lasts a few hours, then winds up at Conroy's getting smashed on 'fiddich. Next day the problem is out of her system and she's right with the world again. If you want my advice?"

Nick was getting desperate by now and nodded. Anything that would make dealing with Cori easier when he finally got talk to her.

"Pecan Delights as a peace offering, leave her alone tonight and let her drink herself into oblivion. When she comes in tomorrow, craving chocolate as she always does after a good round of intoxication, she'll see the candies and then you can talk to her while she's shoveling the chocolate past her lips. Ravenous chocolate lover, would be the one most likely to dive headfirst into the vat of melted chocolate at the Godiva factory."

Nick had to suppress a laugh at that. That would definitely explain the chocolate taste of her when she kissed him the first time. "Just… what exactly are Pecan Delights?"

The nurse looked at him like he was nuts. "Russell Stover candies? Caramel patties with pecans and covered in chocolate. She's been in love with them since she did her internship down in Texas."

"And… where would I find them here?"

Ellie chuckled and pulled Nick aside. She took out a card and wrote down a name and a number on the back. "Call this place. Tell them you want a bouquet of Pecan Delights sent to this address. I guarantee it'll make things right with Cori in the morning."

"But, I didn't do anything for her to be mad at me. Someone else-"

"Ah. But she's avoiding you, isn't she? She hung up on you and if she weren't irritated at you for some reason, she wouldn't have hung up on you. Do this, and if she wasn't mad at you to begin with, you'll have her drooling in your hand."

****


	12. But, I've Only Had One

****

Cori sat at the bar, the crystal tumbler taunting her as she eyeballed it. It was still filled with the amber brown liquid, no ice. The background noise had long since dulled down to a muted rumble. Her arms were crossed in front of her, resting on the edge of the bar. She hadn't changed out of her running clothes and she knew she was absolutely rank with sweat. Right now she didn't care. After she'd hung up with Nick at the beach, she continued running, at a slower pace this time and reciting all the reasons she could think of to not like the man. After all, he was a cutter.

Nick walked into the door and visibly relaxed. He was in a pair of jeans and a polo shirt and was afraid he'd be seriously under-dressed for the place. When he saw that it was a true bar and not a cocktail lounge, he sighed in relief. Now to find - He smiled as he saw a disheveled looking Cori at the bar with the tumbler of scotch in front of her. It looked as if she hadn't taken a drink yet. He picked his way across the room until he was right next to her.

Following Nick into the bar and unknown to him, were Jackie and Rae. Jackie had overheard Nick mention something about going to Conroy's and had said something to Rae. Immediately Rae had suggested that the two of them go down to see if he was going to try and make up to Cori after their little spat. In Rae's mind, she wanted to see Cori get absolutely plastered. The rumor had been around the hospital for months now that when things got bad for Coriandra Eleszara, she responded by getting falling down drunk. The two of them settled into an out of the way table to watch. Jackie kept watching Rae, who had this odd look of pleasure on her face for once. It was almost eerie.

Cori curled her fingers around the tumbler and lifted it to her lips. In one smooth motion, she tipped her head back and tossed the drink past her lips. Her throat burned with the scotch as she swallowed it down. But, Cori didn't feel it, she wasn't feeling much of anything at the moment. Despite what it looked like, Cori was already three sheets to the wind.

Nick leaned up against the bar and looked at the glass as she set it down. She didn't look drunk, didn't act drunk, and didn't smell drunk. She mainly smelled of sweat and salty sea air. A scent that reminded him of Greece.

"What do you want Nick. I'm a little busy."

"Yes, I can see that. Cori, how many of those have you had?"

"One."

"Just one?"

"Just one Nick. You didn't answer my question - what do you want?"

"Oh, I thought you'd like to know how Scott is. He's back in his own room and sleeping. The surgery-"

"That I can find out tomorrow when I go to work. Why are you here?" 

She hadn't looked at him yet, kept her eyes on the far wall opposite her. He leaned over and saw the mirror. "I still want to talk to you."

Cori was watching a pair of women in the mirror - Rae and Jackie. Oh how she wanted to walk back to Rae's seat and just slap the crap out of her. But she wouldn't do that. She was the bigger woman and she wouldn't lower herself to Rae's level. "Talk? Sure, talk."

"What is wrong? Is it something Rae said to you? I saw the two of you arguing in the observation room before Scott's surgery."

"What does it matter? It's not like there's anything between us. You're a cutter, that's that." Cori hoped still in her drunken mind that if she kept telling herself that, then she'd believe it.

Cutter. That wasn't the first time she'd called him that. He looked at the glass as the bartender refilled it and Cori's eyes lowered to look at it. Her fingers curled around it slowly. "What the hell is your problem with surgeons?!" he hissed in her ear.

Cori didn't even flinch as she put the smooth glass to her lips and tilted it back.

Nick watched as she swallowed, mesmerized by her throat for a moment. The spell was broken as she set the glass down again and did not answer him. "Why the hell did I think you were human to begin with, furious little banshee of a woman that you are. I thought you were someone I could actually get to like. But you're no different than Rae." Nick turned around, shaking his head in disgust as he moved to leave her there.

"It's not you I don't like."

Nick turned back. "No?"

"No. It's the profession, the way that most are brainwashed in 'Surgeon School' to think that everything can be cured with a scalpel."

"Something happened to you, didn't it?"

"Not to me, no." Cori blinked slowly and reached for the mysteriously full glass again.

Nick looked down and put his hand on her wrist to stop her from another drink. He swore he could see tears in her eyes. "Cori? How many of these have you had?"

She shrugged. "One."

Nick looked at the bartender who just shook his head as he leaned over the bar. "That's her answer, One. One glass… I've served her for years and it's always 'One'. Don't even bother to ask anymore."

Nick nodded and put the piece together to assume that she was probably intoxicated already. "Cori, talk to me. What happened with that surgeon?" He sat down on the stool next to her and waited.

Cori's chin trembled. "My first year out and in my own right as a certified doctor, I had this patient," she started off softly. In the corner of her eye she saw Nick lean in to hear her. "She wasn't a chronically ill child, but she came to me with symptoms of a hemorrhaged blood vessel in her abdomen. Pain, swelling, vomiting, you name it. I did the diagnosis, all the sonograms and tests. It came back and was decided that she needed surgery to repair the tear." She paused long enough to take that last drink, her hand shaking this time. "God I hated the surgeon that drew my patient. He… he was a gloryhound, thought his stuff didn't stink." She shrugged. "He killed her."

Nick nearly fell off of his stool. "What?!"

"Oh, he didn't take a scalpel and cut her artery intentionally." She sighed and took a moment. "He did the routine procedure, took very little time. But, this man liked to leave his 'mark' on people. He thought he saw something else that needed to be 'fixed'. There wasn't anything else. The assisting surgeon told him that, the surgical nurse told him that, the video camera told us all that. When he was told the third time to stop, he slammed his hand down on the tray and tools went flying everywhere."

Nick closed his eyes. He had a bad feeling about this. Suddenly he could sympathize with Cori and her dislike of surgeons.

"One of the scalpels lanced an artery in her abdomen. She bled out on the table. The more they worked to try and stop the bleeding the bigger and bigger the tear from the scalpel got. There was nothing they could do."

"Cori, not all surgeons are like that." He put his hand on her arm comfortingly.

She just looked down at his hand, then looked back at the mirror, watching Rae and Jackie watching them. "After the girl was pronounced, the parents were told that an artery blew and nothing could be done to save the girl. The surgeon was held exempt, almost a hero in the parents' eyes. Two months later, the surgical nurse that had told him to stop? She retired and told everything to the parents. It was then that it came out, what had happened, the cover-up, the whole 'community' of surgeons in the hospital all banding together to cover their cover-boy. I couldn't say anything before, and I couldn't say anything after. I was held in contract. Besides, after the parents were told it was an accident, I couldn't come along and say 'no, it wasn't. She was killed due to negligence.' That would have broken their hearts. Looking back now, I should have."

"What happened to the surgeon?"

Cori looked at Nick for a moment, then pushed back from the bar and made to stand up. Her knees buckled under her and she fell towards the ground.

Nick jumped up and caught her under the arms before she hit the ground. "Only one, huh?"

"Yeah, just one… Someone stop the floor from moving please."

"Come on tough girl, let's get you home. You shouldn't be driving."

****


	13. The Morning After

****

Cori opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times to clear the fuzziness. Oh good heavens her head was pounding. Slowly she sat up in bed, the sheet falling down to her lap. "Ohhhh" she groaned. "That's it. I swear.. this is the last time I go ten rounds with a scotch bottle… Rounds… I've got rounds to do." One leg at a time, she swung herself out of bed, stretching until her feet hit the floor.

Gingerly she stood up, her head threatening to roll off of her shoulders. Her bloodshot eyes searched for something to wear… no, her clothes… she had clothing on last night. A shiver ran over her body and she looked down. "Oh God. This… this isn't my room." she whispered at the sight of her mostly naked body. She remembered she usually slept in the nude, but now she had her bra, panties and her … socks? The headache suddenly receded as she looked around the room in an almost panic. "Please, tell me I didn't…"

She spied her clothing neatly folded up on top of the dresser and her shoes sitting on the floor next to the cabinet. 

--

Nick's eyes opened when he heard the car door slam. Cori… Quickly he threw back the blanket and sheets and bolted up. By the time he got to the window and looked out, all he could see was her taillights disappearing down the street. "Damn," he sighed. He'd wanted to explain it to her before she left, explain what had happened. He highly doubted she would remember any of it considering just how loaded she truly was last night.

He glanced at the clock and saw it was 7 am. He had to be at work in an hour to start his shift. He sighed and wandered back into the bedroom and flopped down on the bed. The mussed spot that she'd slept was still warm. Involuntarily he curled up around her pillow and drifted off into a light doze for another 15 minutes. Maybe he should call in sick today and just rest.

--

"What happened to you?"

Cori looked up from her desk and groaned at her nurse. Ellie had been 'her' nurse for years since she came to work at Presidio. She was the head pediatric nurse and the two of them had formed a strong trust and understanding with each other. 

"Let's see… bloodshot eyes, same clothes you were in yesterday… although I have to admit, I'm impressed that they're not wrinkled and rumpled."

"Ellie."

"Yes Doctor Cori?" she said evenly, a teasing twinkle in her eyes.

Cori looked up, a pathetic look on her face. "I need breakfast, coffee, a shower, some scrubs and a little touch of makeup to cover these dark circles."

"Scrubs, check." Ellie laughed and tossed the burgundy colored scrubs she'd hidden behind her back at Cori. "Coffee and breakfast I can get while you're showering down in the locker room. And if I remember right, you've got a spare make-up bag in the top drawer of your desk."

"You're an angel. Thanks Ellie."

As Ellie turned to close the door, a deliveryman walked up and smiled. "I have a delivery for a Dr. Cori?"

Ellie oooo'd as Cori stood up, somewhat wobbly and reached for the pen. The young man brought in a vase filled to bursting with green leaves - and about three dozen small snack sized Pecan Delight 'flowers'. Cori grinned as she read the enclosed card. Ellie winked knowingly left to go get the coffee. Cori picked the scrubs and hustled down to the locker room for a shower, thinking back to the previous night. A smile graced her lips as she remembered Nick and his compassionate ear. He was a gentleman too. Cori remembered the strength in his hands and his arms as he caught her while she tumbled off of the barstool, how he half-carried her into his apartment. If she could ever remember what had happened after that, it would remain their little secret…

--

Nick stopped at the desk on his way down the hall. All morning he'd been flighty and half there. He knew why too. His mind kept turning back to Cori and last night. Another smile lit his lips as he felt his pager go off. Another surgical consultation with Matt Slingerland. As he sighed and handed the chart back to the nurse, he heard footsteps coming up behind him. Looking up, he saw Rae standing next to him.

"Good Morning." He said quietly.

"I should say so." She replied rather stonily. "Enjoy yourself last night?"

"If I did, I fail to see where it's any concern of yours."

The nurse behind the desk swallowed and picked up a chart, vacating the desk in a hurry.

"Oh, I can't imagine. Could it be the fact that I watched you carry a completely shit-faced Cori Eleszara out of the bar last night?"

Nick put his pen down and turned to look at Rae. What did he ever see in her? Slingerland had it all wrong when he called Cori the 'Viperous Bitch'. That title belonged to Rae Brennan all alone. "First off, Dr. Brennan, there is more to Dr. Cori and last night than her being drunk. Something that if any of you other physicians around here had ever taken the time to get to know her, you'd understand why she got herself that way last night. Secondly, I was being a friend by driving her home. Would you have preferred that she tried to drive herself home and possibly get into an accident? That's too cold, even for a shrew like you. Now, I have patients to go see, Dr. Brennan.

Rae blinked as Nick picked up his chart and walked off. When would he learn that she wasn't trying to be the bad person? All she wanted was what they had before he decided he wanted to change things.

--

Nick spied Dr. Cori at the nurse's station filling out some paperwork. He had to smile. In so short a time she'd grown on him and he looked forward everyday to seeing her wild hair and personality around the hospital. She was in scrubs today instead of her usual slacks and blouse. More likely than not it was because the clothes she wore yesterday were the clothes she was forced to wear this morning when she left his apartment. A smile crept across his face as he thought of her asleep in his bed last night. Slowly his eyes swept over her burgundy scrubs and the crisp white tennis shoes she had on. Even with the stethoscope around her neck and her hair in still damp messy curls she looked appealing. He was beginning to believe that this spitfire of a woman would look good in anything.  
  
Cori smiled to herself as she heard Nick stop next to her at the nurse's station. She listened as he gave his orders to the nurse and heard his pen signing off his name on the chart.  
  
"Dr. Cori." he said pleasantly, with a hint of a smile in his voice.  
  
"Dr. Koko." she replied in the same manner as she signed off on her own chart. Handing it to the nurse, she winked and turned to walk past Nick while softly humming "Bye bye Miss American Pie…"  
  
Nick smiled. He'd discovered that he liked being called 'Dr. Koko'... but so long as she was the only one to call him that.  
  
"Drove my Chevy to the levy, but the levy was dry…" Cori grinned, winking at the nurse as she slipped behind Nick... and grabbed a hefty handful of his firm behind. 

  
Nick jumped, his head snapping up and eyes wide in shock as he felt Cori's hand on his rear end. He caught the nurse grinning like a fool as he turned to see Cori walking past him and down the hall, her voice echoing back as she half danced down the hallway. He turned back to the nurse, who smiled back to him. "You didn't see that."

The nurse shook her head ferociously. "No Sir." But she couldn't hide the bubble of laughter as he walked off the opposite direction, a light spring in his step and humming the same tune Dr. Cori was.

****


	14. You Give Me Strength

****  


"Five minutes... please...."

Nick chuckled and shook Cori awake again for the third time. "Dr. Cori, come on, you've got to get up. You're being paged down to the ER."

Cori opened one eye and looked up at him in the feeble light coming in through the window. In the last month or so since she'd first met him, the two of them had become truly close friends. But, in the first few weeks after she let her guard down and let him near, they'd grown closer than friends. At work, it was professional. But after shifts, he spent a lot of time at her apartment. More than once they'd walked in together to more than one raised eyebrow from the staff. Both of them smiled, said their good morning greetings and parted ways to their own offices. If the rumors started it was not because they gave them reason to. She hated leaving him in the morning when the alarm clock went off. But, they both were doctors and more than once the emergency pages from the hospital had interrupted them. Those times they simply sighed, kissed one another and took care of business without an angry word. 

And then there were times like now that she wished she could just roll over, snuggle up to him and pretend it was all a bad nightmare. It wasn't her choice to be so sleep deprived lately, but circumstances at home had led to her catching cat-naps in unoccupied rooms of the Pediatric floor. Nick had been on his normal rotations and some how, some way, she'd lucked into a three-week pediatric rotation in the ER. Because of the difference in schedules, the two of them had agreed to stay apart in their own places so as not to disturb each other. Most of the time when he would be trying to sleep, she'd be just getting in from work or just leaving for work. In the time that they'd started sleeping together, she'd grown used to having Nick there and now found she couldn't sleep well without him. Of course, other circumstances didn't lend themselves to allowing her to sleep peacefully, even if she could get to sleep.

"Nick," she groaned into the pillow. "I need just five more minutes of sleep... please.. I'm begging you..."

"Sorry Madame, you've got to come. You're being paged."

Cori threw the light blanket off and sat up. "Damn it! Just 5 minutes is all I'm asking! You think it's my choice to be this exhausted? No, it's not. I can't help it that the neighbors have decided to take up marathon sex as a past time! You do realize that in the last two weeks that I have heard her scream 'OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD' more times than in my entire freshman year of college? Five minutes is NOT too much to ask!!" She grabbed the blanket and flopped back down on the bed, yanking it over her head.

Nick blinked, trying his hardest to keep from laughing at her. She was entirely too adorable when she was this worked up. But, he looked at his watch as the minute hand ticked off and the second hand swept it's way around the face.

Cori wasn't asleep. She'd closed her eyes and waited for the shaking again. But it didn't come... 'what is he up to?' she thought... after another thirty seconds of complete silence, she sat up and groaned. "ALL RIGHT! Let's go. Give me a second to put my shoes on."

Nick had to laugh. "Your five minutes turned miraculously into 45 seconds. Is that a power nap?"

Cori gave him a look and came around the narrow hospital bed to just in front of him. Her hands on her hips, she looked up, then stretched up to press a firm kiss to his lips. She felt his arms come around her to hold her tight as he deepened and returned the kiss. After a few moments, she felt his arms release her and she opened her eyes. "Jesus Nick, you give me strength."

****


	15. Changes For The Better

****  


Cori leaned up against the wall, running a hand through her hair. It'd been 18 hours since she'd gotten that page that Nick had to fetch her for. She was so exhausted she couldn't see straight and all she could think about was curling up somewhere and sleeping until the end of time. One after the other, pediatric cases seemed to just fly through the ER doors and she barely had time to go to the bathroom let alone stop and think.

"OK Cassandra," she said tiredly as she tossed the last pair of gloves into the hazardous waste bin. "I'm gone. I'll be in my office for a few minutes and then I don't want to hear a beep out of my pager for the next week and a half."

Cassandra laughed and waved good bye to Dr. Cori as she turned and headed for the elevators. As the head ER nurse, Cassandra had seen her fair share of bitchy doctors whining about their rotation through the ER as consultants. Not once during the last three weeks had she heard Dr. Cori complain. Of course, if the rumors were true that she would be asked to take over as Head of Pediatrics, she seriously doubted Dr. Cori would.

"Hold the door please!"

Cori stuck her hand in between the elevator doors to hold them as a short balding man ran into the elevator. "Ah! Doctor Eleszara, just the woman I wanted to speak with."

"Doctor Filmont." Cori's voice wasn't exactly warm towards the man. Everyone disliked the Chief of Staff.

"Exhausted, I can understand that."

Cori looked over at him and saw that he hadn't even bothered to look back at her where she leaned against the rear was of the elevator. Of course, the man was oblivious most of the time. He thought the staff liked him. "You said you wanted to talk to me?"

"It can keep until you're rested. Go home, get some rest and then come see me when you're back on your regular rounds."

Cori sighed. "Doctor Filmont, I'm here, go ahead and talk to me. I'm tired, not dead."

Filmont laughed and turned around. "Spunky, I like that. You know that the nurses talk, right?"

"Doesn't everyone?" The doors opened and She stepped out, Filmont right next to her.

"True, but they've been talking about you. Now," he stopped when he saw her eyes rolling. "They're not talking ABOUT you, they're talking about you. They like the fact you don't pull a superiority trip on them because you're a doctor and they love the fact that you took the time to find out how things worked down in the ER as opposed to running them like you wish. They are, as well as myself, impressed with your courtesy and lack of complaint about the rotation through the ER."

"If this is just a pep talk, I think I'll go home and come back. Or is there something more important at the end of this?"

"There is. I fired Cornbury. I want you to take over as Head of Pediatrics."

--

An hour later, composed and calmed down, Cori stepped off of the elevator into the parking garage. It was just turning to dawn and she had the next three days off to get her sleep caught up on and her life back in line the way it should be. If she was lucky she might even get to see Nick more than 30 seconds at a time.

"I hear congratulations are in order."

Cori turned to see Dr. Brennan coming out from between two cars. She had just arrived.

"Yeah, I suppose so." She didn't want to do this right now. In the last few months, Rae had become increasingly unbearable to be around.  


"Oh I see. Make you Head of a Department and you turn your nose up at the rest of us."

"Oh go to hell Brennan. I'm too tired to deal with your jealous bullshit."

"Jealous, of what? You? Come on!" she laughed spitefully. "Look at you, what do I have to be jealous of? Just remember, Eleszara, Nick came to me first."

Cori sighed. So this was it? "Yeah, he came to you first. But YOU remember THIS - you pushed him away when he came to you a second time. You acted like a petty spoiled child and pushed him away. He came TO ME. He moved on WITH ME. You had him and you lost him. Get over it." She turned away and started off towards her car again.

"He'll never love you the way he loved me."

That stopped Cori in her tracks and she turned back to Rae slowly. "That may be, Doctor Brennan. He loved you so much, he moved half way around the world to be with you. And look at what it got him. A year's worth of headache and doubt. I can only hope to inspire that sort of love in him again and that he can eventually love me as deeply as he thought he loved you. You see, unlike you, I don't play both sides of the fence. If Nick had still been hung up on you, I would have walked away and left him alone. But he's not, he doesn't love you anymore Rae. Why do you insist on hanging on to him when he wants and NEEDS to be free? Or is it something deeper?" Cori advanced slowly on Rae, backing her up against her car. "There is. You can't stand to come in behind me. You've been jealous of me all along, jealous of the way Nick looks at me. It all started when your husband supposedly hit on me at that charity function. Ever stop to think that he actually DID hit on me and you're the reason why?"

Rae's eyes narrowed and she reacted without thinking, reaching out and slapping Cori across the face. After she realized what had happened, she covered her mouth with her hand and gasped. "Oh God Cori, I'm sorry! I… I didn't-"

Cori's head had snapped to the side when Rae had blindsided her with that slap. A hand came up to cover her cheek where she felt the heat rushing to and slowly she turned back towards Rae. "Yes you did. I'm sure at one time your husband loved you and you were a decent human being. But having two men at once had colored the way things are to you. You have turned into a selfish woman with no care for anyone but herself. Your patients are a different matter, of course. But, did you ever stop to think that you are the reason why your husband spends so much time away from home? That perhaps he can't stand to be around you any longer? That night, at the fundraiser, he was drunk and he told me that he knew you were sleeping around, had a man on the side. He couldn't believe it, thought you loved him enough not to do that. He also wondered how you would feel if he were to do the same, whether you'd feel the same or worse than he did. That's why he tried to hit on me. And stupid you fell for it too. You jumped in like a woman with a guilt problem and accused me of sleeping with Sean before you heard anyone else around you. They all tried to tell you to calm down, that nothing had happened. But you wouldn't listen, would you?" Cori sighed tiredly, suddenly feeling more exhausted in the last 20 minutes than she had in the last 18 hours. "Let him go, Rae. Let Nick go and let him be happy. That's all he ever wanted for you." Turning to go to her car again, she shook her head. Rae Brennan would never let him go.

"How do you know what he wants for me?" she asked quietly.

Cori turned back and sighed. With a shrug she answered, "It's what I would want for my lover if I were in his shoes. That, and I talk to him. We spend hours talking when we can. It's nice, you should try it with Sean once in a while."

Rae watched as Cori got into her car and pulled out. She remembered Nick's words a year ago when he'd told her that he wanted her to be happy.

--

Cori sighed as she pulled into the parking garage of her high rise apartment. As exhausted as she was, she was amazed she'd made it home in one piece. Another day without Nick there, she thought as she stepped into the elevator and took it down to the main floor. What she wouldn't give to have Nick take the day off and sleep in with her. Not that she'd be much company.

"Good Morning Dr. Cori!"

Cori smiled at the cheerful doorman as she came around the corner. "Good Morning Tony. How's the wife?"

"She's doing fine. How's the kids?"

"Oh, same as usual. Had a busload of them in the ER last night. I think I'm about wiped out. Have a good day!" She waved at Tony as she stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the 10th floor.

Almost in a daze she stepped off and made her way down the hallway towards her apartment. With two bedrooms, this one was costing her quite a bit. But, she needed that second room for her office and it was well worth it in the long run. Closing the door behind her, Cori dropped her overcoat and purse on the floor, then turned and put the locks in place. As she aimed herself towards the bedroom, she stripped piece by piece until she was down to her socks, bra and panties.

The room was dark still, the drapes pulled tightly closed against the morning light. Stretching slightly, her shoulder popped and she yanked back the covers. "God I could sleep for a week…" she groaned as she fell back against the pillow.

"Then do it quietly," came the muffled growl as an arm reached out to pull the covers up over her and pull her closer at the same time.

Cori giggled and turned over to face Nick who was just opening his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? I figured you'd be at Presidio this morning."

Nick smiled and snuggled Cori up close, throwing one leg over hers and lightly bussing the tip of her nose. "I knew your last day of the rotation was today, so I scheduled it off. Knowing your penchant for sleeping like the dead, I stayed up last night and only went to bed about 10 minutes ago."

Cori smiled, soft tears welling up in her eyes.

"What's this?"

"Nothing… you're too sweet Dr. Koko."

"I aim to please, you furious little banshee of a woman." Nick winked as she turned over. He swatted her rump and then settled in for a good long nap, his arms wrapped around her tightly as they both drifted off…

--

- finis.


End file.
